


Bring Her Home

by Too_Much_Fandom



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Near Death Experiences, Recovery, War, massacre (mentioned)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-12 04:39:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13539861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Too_Much_Fandom/pseuds/Too_Much_Fandom
Summary: There has been a terrible ambush on a team of aurors. All are presumed dead, including Tina Goldstein...





	Bring Her Home

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little thing I dashed off. Title inspired by Les Mis.

He didn't even need to see the look on his brother's face; the fact that Theseus was in his doorway at this hour was all he needed to know.

"I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry," Theseus began, and Newt's throat began to constrict, though he would not allow himself to lose his composure until he heard the actual words.

"The team was ambushed. It hasn't been confirmed yet, but it is highly unlikely we'll find any survivors."

Theseus gently guided Newt to a chair and let him sit and digest the news that his fiancee would not be returning. Newt remained silent and stony-faced, though all color had drained from it. He had nothing to say. And he knew that if he opened his mouth, the floodgates would open. He would wait till Theseus left.

"A preliminary rescue team has been dispatched, and we plan to send reinforcements within the hour," Theseus shared, if only to break the silence.

"Rescue?" Newt whispered, eyes full of hope, "well rescue means there's a chance! May I join the-"

Theseus cut him off. "Though it's still officially a rescue operation, there is little doubt that it's really a recovery mission."

Newt sank back down, deflated once more. "I still want to go with the team," he choked out through the growing lump in his throat.

"Newton, I'm not sure you want to see-"

"No, Theseus. I must go. I need to see. And I need to bring her...home." Tears pricked at his eyes, but he still held back the floodgates. There would be time for that later.

Theseus sighed, but nodded his assent. The two brothers then set off together to join the rest of the team.

**********************************************************

It was a shocking scene. Smoke hung in the air, eerily distorting the lights surrounding the area. Bodies, still clad in their leather auror jackets, were strewn about, limbs sticking out at strange angles. Some were partially buried by the wreckage.

Off to the right lay a neat row of bodies, presumably the ones that had already been recovered and identified. An auror came by and gently placed yet another body at the nearer end of the row. Newt realized with a jolt that he recognized the dead auror. MacMillan had been in his year, a fellow Hufflepuff. He almost turned back right then. Would he be able to bear to see Tina? But something in him insisted. Insisted that he be here, the place where she had breathed her last, and that he be the one to bring her home. He set out with the rest of the team.

It only got worse as the night wore on. He saw more familiar faces and heard more familiar names listed as bodies were recovered. And then, he found the reason he was here. His breath caught in his throat. She was facedown, but he already knew it was her.  He knew by her hair, by the fit of the jacket around the body he knew so well, and by the engagement ring on her finger, the ring he'd given her only a few weeks ago, when they'd seemingly had their whole lives ahead of them...

He turned her over. Upon seeing her blank and unknowing face, the tears he'd been withholding for the last few hours finally broke free. He allowed the raw grief and pain to just wash over him as he clutched her lifeless form tightly to himself and sobbed. He sobbed for his loss, for her cruelly shortened life, for the future they would never had. The world was ending, no, it had already ended. There was nothing, nothing left. 

And then, during a lull between sobs, he felt it. He held his breath. No, it couldn't be. It was just his own shattered heart thumping. He felt it again. He decided to check. Not out of hope, because he didn't dare to hope. Just so that on the remote chance that it was, she could be helped. He put his ear to her chest, and there it was: a faint, yet unmistakable heartbeat. He placed two fingers on the side of her neck to confirm, and then checked both wrists. There was a pulse! Faint as ever, but there. He fumbled for his wand with shaking hands and sent up red sparks.

Several pops surrounded him, and he found his voice. "Hospital! We need to get her to a hospital!" he rasped urgently, "she's alive! Thank Merlin she's alive, but barely so...please, we need to get her to-"

The three wizards converged on Tina. One conjured up a quick stretcher while another quickly assessed her. The third was shouting orders: "she doesn't seem in a good state to apparate. No matter, we have to take the chance. Strap her down well so she doesn’t splinch! Let's go!" And then turning to Newt, "it's too dangerous to transport her all the way back to London. We'll need to take her to the field hospital. Don't worry mate, she's in good hands. You can stop by when you're done here."

Newt nodded his thanks. He gave Tina's limp hand a squeeze and placed a quick kiss on her forehead before they vanished with her. He could swear he caught one of them exclaiming, "Merlin, we've got a survivor!" over the crack of their apparition.

There was no time to celebrate, though. For one, he did not know yet if her injuries were survivable. There still remained recovery work ahead. Friends and colleagues who would not be coming home, so many families who would only be receiving bad news tonight. As he turned to get back to the task, he saw another shower of red sparks and heard a triumphant shout: "Moody! Moody's alive! He's in a bad way, we need to evacuate him immediately, but Merlin's beard, Moody is alive!" Well, there was another beacon of hope on this tragic night...

************************************************************

The team finished their grim work as the first threads of dawn touched the horizon. All together, four unconscious survivors had been rescued. This was sadly dwarfed by the twenty bodies they'd recovered. A horrendous and tragic massacre. Theseus thanked him for his help, then ordered him to head to Tina's side.

"No guilt now," he chided when he saw Newt's conflicted face, "everyone's glad there were any survivors at all. Now go, she needs you more than we need you here now!"

Newt apparated to the field hospital where he was told Tina remained unconscious but was stable and out of danger. He would be allowed to stay with her. And stay he did. After three days, it was safe to bring her back to London, so he followed her to St. Mungos when they transferred her. For another week, she lay silent and still as various healers specializing in Dark Magic treatment cared for her, and Newt spoke and read to her even though she remained unresponsive. There were setbacks, moments of more danger. But finally, the healers were able to confidently assure Newt that she was going to live and make a mostly full recovery.

He kept a near-constant vigil by her side, though he did leave a few times to attend the funerals. He had known many of the deceased men and women personally, and as happy as he was that Tina was not among them, he was nonetheless quite devastated to have lost so many fine people he’d known. He felt guilty standing there watching grieving parents, spouses, siblings, and children say goodbye while he had miraculously been spared the same fate. While taking his meals in the cafeteria, he got to know Moody’s wife, who kept vigil by her husband’s side. She was also an auror and might have been at the scene of the massacre herself had it not been for her giving birth to a son a few months prior and taking some time off. Sometimes she brought the infant around. Newt had always been better at interacting with children than with adults and enjoyed entertaining little Alastor. 

On the tenth evening, Newt returned to his usual post at Tina’s bedside after dinner. He held her hand and read to her. As he grew weary, he transfigured his seat into a bed, getting ready to spend another night at St. Mungo’s. He kissed her forehead and settled into his bed, taking her hand. And then he felt it, faint as her heartbeat had been when he’d found her ten days ago, yet just as unmistakable. She was squeezing his hand. He immediately shot up. 

“Tina, love,” he whispered in her ear and squeezed her hand back. She squeezed again, a little more strongly this time. Newt touched his wand to the call button next to her bed in order to summon a healer. He figured it might be wise to have a professional around as she woke up. More healers soon arrived, ready to care for Tina as soon as she awoke. One of them ushered Newt from the room.

“I’m sorry,” she smiled apologetically, “but we’re going to need to run some tests as soon as she wakes. Also, she’s likely to be quite disoriented and in pain and may release some powerful magic unintentionally. Not uncommon in these situations, but naturally a bit dangerous for those standing nearby. Of course, you’ll be the first to see her as soon as she’s in a state for visitors.”

Newt nodded in understanding and took to pacing in front of the closed door. He couldn’t hear what was going on, although at one point he heard a loud bang and some shattering glass. Presumably, this was the accidental magical reaction he’d been warned about. He felt guilty for finding it amusing, but he couldn’t help feeling thrilled that his Tina must be back to her usual feisty self. 

The same healer that had escorted him from the room now poked her head out, “Mr. Scamander, you may come in now. She’s tired and in pain, but she is back to herself and asking for you.”

“Thank you,” replied Newt as he strode into the room and straight towards Tina. Though she was clad in her hospital robes with heavy bags under her eyes and a very bad case of bed-head, she was never more beautiful to Newt as she was right now. Awake and smiling. And, most importantly, alive. 

As much as he wanted nothing more than to scoop her up and hold her tight, Newt had been told by the healer that she was in pain, and so he gingerly cupped her cheek in his hand. Tina, however, lifted her arms, threw them around Newt’s neck and pulled him down to her, peppering his face with kisses. She stopped suddenly with a wince, as she’d overdone it. 

“I’m sorry Newt, I love you so much, I just can’t move so much. Oww...” she winced again. 

“Don’t be sorry, love,” Newt chided, softly kissing her hand, “you’re injured, it hurts. Don’t overtax yourself on my account.” He gently and loosely put an arm around her shoulders. “This alright?” he asked.

“Mmmm,” came Tina’s reply as she nuzzled her head against his chest. Newt softly kissed her forehead and Tina looked up at him expectantly. He smiled back and before he knew it, his lips were on hers. They sighed together and just continued tenderly kissing, Newt taking great care not to jostle her too much. 

As she wound her fingers through his messy fringe just the way he liked, tears began to flow freely as it suddenly hit him how close he’d been to never again feeling her soft lips against his and her slender fingers toying with his hair. Tina’s thumb swiped his cheek. 

“I’m sorry,” he said thickly, “it’s just I very nearly lost you and I still can’t believe-”

Tina cut him off with another kiss. “I know,” she whispered, “but it’s OK, I’m right here with you. You’re not going to get rid of me so easily, Newton Artemis Fido Scamander!” she chuckled.

“I would never want to get rid of you, Porpentina Esther Goldstein-soon-to-be-Scamander,” he laughed before kissing her back. 

The next few days were difficult. Tina was still very weak and sore and needed to take lots of foul tasting potions. She was also informed of what had happened to the rest of the team, which was extremely distressing for her. But she had Newt with her to get her through it, and always with his signature phrase, just as comforting as it had been the very first time he’d uttered it: “I’ll catch you. I’ve got you Tina.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for that ridiculously fluffy ending. It's just what I do!


End file.
